Plant Continuous Imporvment Manager

Overview

At Niagara, we’re looking for Team Members who want to be part of achieving our mission to provide our customers the highest quality most affordable bottled water.

We offer competitive compensation and benefits packages for our Team Members.

Manages the development and implementation of continuous improvement strategies in a manufacturing plant. Evaluates existing processes and identifies opportunities for quality or efficiency improvement, as well as cost‑savings measures.

• Builds working relationships with the plant leadership team, Plant Director, corporate Lean Six Sigma team, and Continuous Improvement resources company‑wide.
• Play a central role in best‑practice sharing across the entire manufacturing enterprise.
• Work collaboratively with site leadership to identify initiatives and establish priorities based on corporate business objectives and corporate Lean Six Sigma team input.
• Lead lean six sigma teams which work on projects that deliver process improvements and financially contribute to the business, leveraging the results throughout the organization.
• Build Niagara’s Continuous Improvement & Lean / Six Sigma competencies. Continuous improvement competencies include:
  Six Sigma methodology, 5S, Value Stream Mapping (VSM), Kaizen, Green Belt/Black Belt Certification, data‑oriented decision‑making, statistics, SPC, and related proficiencies. The Plant CI Manager leads as a manager of process, adding these competencies to their own toolbox, and fostering plant‑learning and use of the same. The Plant CI Manager is expected to add to their own training and certifications every year, working to establish those competencies in the work teams around them.
• Act as a member of the plant management team. The Plant CI Manager leads as a manager of people by supporting and filling in duties for more senior department managers, such as the Production Manager, Maintenance Manager and Warehouse Manager.
• Seeks out opportunities to improve team members’ knowledge base. Helps coordinate training, education programs, and mentoring relationships.
• Be a local change agent, pushing to continuously challenge the status quo, and find new ways to achieve Niagara’s business strategies.
• Utilize data‑driven, structured problem‑solving tools, including Six Sigma to improve process capability, reduce variation and optimize performance.
• Implement appropriate visual controls to ensure lasting results, including standard work, improvement opportunity walks and process audits.

• Minimum Qualifications:
• 6 Years – Experience in Field or similar manufacturing environment
• 6 Years – Experience in Position
• 4 Years – Experience managing people/projects
• Experience may include a combination of work experience and education.
• Strong interpersonal skills, clear communicator, and demonstrated relationship‑building skills. Ability to function through influence in the absence of having positional authority.
• Able to interact with a wide variety of contacts, both internal and external.
• Talented influencer and team builder. Can form a team without official authority to do so, and motivate that team to accomplish self‑directed goals.
• Required travel: 15% – domestic overnight travel. For some projects this could be 30% for a period of time.
• Preferred Qualifications:
• 10+ Years – Experience in Field or similar manufacturing environment
• 10+ Years – Experience working in Position
• 6 Years – Experience managing people/projects
• Progressive experience in manufacturing, including roles leading others and in Production, Technical or Warehouse operations.
• Prior experience in filling, food packaging, beverage filling, high speed consumer products manufacturing, or high speed dosing preferred.
• Experience working with the implementation and oversight of improvement initiatives.
• Knowledge of Continuous Improvement, TPM / TQM, Lean, Six Sigma, or Toyota Production System methodologies & tools.
• Demonstrated project management skills on cross‑functional initiatives.
• Demonstrated ability to use data for creative problem solving.
• Proven success in working with people in a change program.
• Proficiency in, but…